The present teachings relate to a light guide apparatus and a fabrication method thereof. More particularly, the present teachings relate to a light guide apparatus for collecting light and delivering the collected light, and a fabrication method thereof.
Light guide apparatuses, such as light pipes, optical fibers and planar waveguides, have been used to direct the propagation of light beams using the principle of total internal reflection (TIR) at the interface between an optically dense medium and an optically rare medium. Traditionally, light pipes (or optical fibers) need to have the light pumped into them from the end of the pipe (or optical fiber) with the condition that angle of light falls within the acceptance cone of the pipe to be guided therein. Other than light propagation, light guide apparatuses have also been used as solar concentrators to focus light in a small area. However, owing to the constant motion of the sun relative to earth, solar concentrators require a tracking system, because they only work at certain fixed small angular range of the sun relative to the solar concentrator. Moreover, many of these light guide apparatuses are rather bulky.
Accordingly, there is a need to develop a new light guide apparatus that can concentrate light without using a tracking system. There is also a need for a new light guide apparatus that can redirect light impinging on the apparatus over a wide range of incident angles.